The Spectrum of Love
by Destinies Entwined
Summary: Vignettes written for Yatori Week 2 (prompts on Tumblr). The theme:"Color Psychology". Using a site devoted to the topic, we derive themes from their theoretical meanings. WARNING: MANGA SPOILERS - from "Vague" to "Blatant", as current as 48 (which isn't even translated yet). But it's delightfully fluffy. Just read it for the feels. LOL
1. Midori

**DAY 1 - GREEN**

"This color [Green] relates to stability and endurance, giving us persistence and the strength to cope with adversity."

**-BEWARE: MANGA SPOILERS-**

Yato was weary as he dragged his feet up the stairs to the attic of Kofuku's abode. Having to play nice with his Father sapped him of every ounce of his willpower. His conversation with Hiyori hadn't helped either. On the surface, he was jealous and possessive. Hiyori was his precious person, and how dare anyone be so familiar with her other than himself, especially his own father. The dog-tired divinity was relieved to find momentary solitude in the humble space. Unceremoniously flopping onto his futon, Yato continued digging at himself, turning his emotions over and over, like bubbling stew over a fire.

Deeper still, he felt he needed to protect his cherished girl. The incessant evils that plagued them were, in many cases, aimed directly at the devotee.

But he felt like she didn't truly understand his intentions. Her moods vacillated at light speed, and he could never gauge exactly what she was thinking at any given moment. All he knew was that she had vowed to stay by his side. His Hiyori has promised to never forget him.

The dark-haired magatsukami swore to himself that he would endure hell all over again if he had to. The clenching in his chest was an ache he'd never known before, when it suddenly struck him.

_Does she understand? Does she know what I would so for her? Does Hiyori feel the same?_

A few miles away, Hiyori stared at her homework blankly, unable to make sense of the numbers, symbols and words on the pages before her. Waves of butterflies turned her stomach as she replayed Yato's visit in her head. The feelings of embarrassment gave way to guilt, eventually morphing into indignation and cycling back to the beginning again.

_How could Yato barge in on me like that! I can't believe I let him sit with me while I was practically NAKED. And I can't believe how he acted over Fujisaki kissing me! It's not like a really wanted him to! _

It dawned on her, then and there as she calmed herself, admitting that she did not accept her senpai's advances. The person she wished had taken her first kiss was the delinquent deity with eyes that flooded her soul in a deluge of emotions.

He had been the one who saved her on countless occasions. He would run to her first when there was something important, always considering her feelings, and going out his way to be there. It was stifling at times, how overwhelmingly sensitive he could be. But it was refreshing to be so cared for.

_He needs me…and I..?_

Her pencil hit the thick notepad with a soft thud. The rosy-eyed half-phantom left her body behind in the chair as she leaped out the window and raced over the rooftops.

The weight of her body may have been shed, but she felt the electric pulse of her soul, vibrant and alive as she sprinted along the telephone wires toward the shrine.

Yato had begun nodding off as a pair of eyes like spring sakura blooming invaded his thoughts. He clung to his pillow, as he sighed, wishing it to be a warm, familiar body.

"Hiyori…" he let loose her name from his lips, slipping into slumber.

"Yato," came a gentle reply.

Yato's eyes flew open and there, on the window sill sat the one person he wanted to see.

Hiyori's cheeks had flushed pink at the sound of her name coming from him.

"W-what are you doing here? I thought you were still mad at me from earlier," he just blurted out, in all his honesty.

"I came to apologize, actually," she said with a grimace as she recalled her behavior. "I overreacted earlier. And I…I am thankful that you are here to protect me."

Yato merely blinked, dumbfounded. His face warmed at her words. At long last he was getting confirmation.

"Hiyori," he began, trying to find the right words. _Don't fuck this up. _"I…You know I would anything for you. Even to Yomi and back, I would go all over again, if it was protect you."

Sliding herself off the window sill, Hiyori came to sit next to her god-of-choice. She nodded at him.

"And I will be here to call your name and bring you back," she retorted. "Yato..?"

He paused and just looked at her as he took her hand in both of his.

"Please don't make me go back to my old life. Please...let me stay," she pleaded softly.

Her gaze had a gravitational pull, drawing him toward the inevitable. Their noses brushed as eyes slid shut. Warm breath mingled, tempering their lips for the soft contact that followed. They pressed into each other for a single tender moment before parting.

The enamored immortal leaned his forehead against hers.

"Then I guess we're in it for the long haul."


	2. Kuro to Shiro

**DAY 2 - BLACK (OR)AND WHITE:**

"White is a color of protection and encouragement, offering a sense of peace and calm, comfort and hope, helping alleviate emotional upsets…White offers an inner cleansing and purifying of your thoughts, emotions and, ultimately, your spirit, refreshing and strengthening your entire energy system."

"[Black] creates a barrier between itself and the outside world, providing comfort while protecting its emotions and feelings, and hiding its vulnerabilities, insecurities and lack of self confidence."

"Black hides, while white brings to light. What black covers, white uncovers."

***OBLIGATORY MANGA SPOILER WARNING! CHAPTERS 43-48***

Hiyori now knew more than she ever thought possible about the Far Shore. The affairs of the Immortals were far more complicated than she could have ever imagined. After awakening at Yato's side, having seen his very own memories of the painful atrocities he'd endured in his youth, hundreds of years prior, she realized how much he kept locked away in his heart, under the guise of a black jersey-wearing, carefree wanderer. Her heart ached, knowing she could never truly help him wipe the slate clean.

In spite of all that, she was determined to help him ultimately find happiness in the remainder of his existence. If only he could be free of Father and forgive himself of his past, then he would be able to move forward and be the god he wants to be. Yet, the dark shadows of his past continue to haunt him.

_Poor Yato, he wants nothing more than to make people happy._

It became clear that she was part of his happiness. And despite his overbearing nature, he made her happy as well. Happy enough to leave a normal human life behind and continue an existence that straddled the lines of the physical and metaphysical realms.

She looked up from the book she had been reviewing for Yukine's sake, having barely read the first two pages of the current chapter he was studying. Yato was scribbling away in his sketchbook.

_I wonder what he's always drawing in that book of his…_

Yato was sketching Hiyori, complete with neko ears and tail, declaring that "Milk is yummy!", when a little shiver went down his spine. He glanced over to find her observing him with a little smile.

_It's like she knows…_he thought to himself, feeling slightly guilty of his latest doodle. Little did he realize, it wasn't the doodles she knew about. But the azure-eyed immortal suddenly felt his breath catch as the overwhelming sensation of hyper-awareness overtook him. With a snap of his hand, the sketchbook shut, and he stashed it under a pile of stuff.

He decided to scooch over to sit next to her, across from Yukine, who was lying on the floor facing away from the two of them, nose-deep in a history assignment.

"Whatcha readin', Hiyori?" he said with a mischievous grin, not even trying to hide his attempt to commandeer her attention. He leaned in close to view the text, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"It's Yukine's history lesson. These chapters are on the Mid-Edo era," she explained, her even tone failing at concealing her nerves. "But my brain has had enough for one day."

She sighed, staying still and staring down at the page as she secretly wanted to stay like this.

"Then just stay and relax. Let the kid do his homework," Yato said nonchalantly as he leaned a little more of his weight against her, testing how close she would let him be.

"I had two big finals today," she said, wavering a fraction as her face grew warm. A deep breath proved to be both relieving and enticing. She shivered ever so slightly at the deluge of sensations.

_His smell, his warmth, his voice…he's so close…_

"Are you cold Hiyori? It is kinda chilly in here," he asked gently as he rubbed her upper arms creating warmth through friction. It last only a few seconds before he pulled away to remove his jersey and drape it over her. Quickly resuming his previous position, he huddled slightly closer, leaning his head against the side of hers.

"Is that better?"

A hum of agreement was his only indication.

_He holds in all his pain, thinking of others before himself. Protecting himself from the horrors by indulging in the happiness of being with people who he cares about._

"Are you going to be okay?" she asked vaguely, knowing what she really meant behind her superficial inquiry.

Yato pondered how Hiyori made him feel like all of the darkness that surrounded him, all the frustration and sadness, could be washed away by her smile. It was always her way to find the positive, no matter how negative the situation could be.

_My light…my warmth…my redemption, Iki Hiyori._

He smiled against her shoulder, hiding his face in the form of a gentle nuzzle.

"I'm going to be just fine."


	3. Gin

**DAY 3 - SILVER:**

"The color silver has a feminine energy; it is related to the moon and the ebb and flow of the tides - it is fluid, emotional, sensitive and mysterious. It is soothing, calming and purifying…it signals a time of reflection and a change of direction as it illuminates the way forward. It helps with the cleansing and releasing of mental, physical and emotional issues and blockages as it opens new doors and lights the way to the future.

With its reflective and sensitive qualities silver inspires intuition, clairvoyance and mental telepathy. It reflects back any energy given out, whether it is positive or negative. Silver restores equilibrium and stability to both feminine power and spiritual energy. It protects itself from outside negativity, reflecting the energy back to where it began."

***POSSIBLE MANGA SPOILERS WARNING***

By the light of the moon, bright and full, Yato walked with Hiyori down the unlit paths of the shrine grounds after hours. Frogs croaked in the pond nearby and crickets chirped in the grass as they meandered slowly.

His excuse had been that he felt cramped up in the stuffy attic space. He brought up going for a walk, and before she had a chance to respond either way, he had grabbed her hand and pulled. The befuddled girl merely inquired as to his sudden decision, to which he merely shrugged.

There was something about a full moon that was comforting to the emotionally embattled god. It was nostalgic, calming and peaceful. His own name declared him to be a divine messenger of the night. He wondered if it was a spiritual connection to himself. Despite all the horrendous acts he'd commited over the centuries under the blanket of night, a full moon always seemed to shed much needed light on his soul.

As they continued on quietly, their hands would brush casually, as they walked closely together. With a tug on his heartstrings, his hand moved of its own accord and took hold of Hiyori's.

Hiyori had been trying to calm her racing mind and heart. Being alone with Yato had started to take on a different nuance as of late. It made her anxious with anticipation.

_What am I waiting for, exactly?_

And then, she felt it: a warm hand taking her own. Adrenaline burst through her, as her quiet companion answered her unuttered question.

Yato caught her little gasp of surprise. His initial reaction was to second-guess his move, but he breathed deep knowing that his intuition was strong.

_Hiyori is everything to me…the sun to my moon. Warm and bright…and beautiful._

They happened upon the path to the bridge on the stream, stopping as they arrived at it.

Hiyori's breath caught in her throat. The silvery ripples of the moon's reflection upon the trickling stream shivered and shimmered. In the stillness of the night air, a melodious melange mingled with the tranquil ramble of the current below.

"Hiyori…" Her name was soft on his lips. "I haven't been completely honest with you about…me."

A moment of truth, which Tenjin had warned him against, in which the tenderhearted divinity wished to entrust so much to his sole follower, and beloved companion.

Hiyori felt cautioned the ominous introduction. But something within in her felt calm, as if nothing he could say or do would ever be intended to hurt her. She looked to him, the pale glow illumating half of his face, leaving the other enshrouded in shadow. Only his stunning turquoise gaze cutting through the dichotomy.

"There are so many reasons that I am trying to be a different type of god. I am haunted by the awful things I have had to do to survive for these many centuries…and I wish to leave it all behind me," he admitted, cringing at the images that came rushing to mind.

_The needless death, the deception and loss…all because of HIM._

Hiyori covered their still-entwined hands with the free one that had remained, encouraging him to continue.

"I need you to know everything. Because…you are the one who has changed me," he explained with a squeeze of his hand. "You've…saved me, Hiyori. And I want to tell you everything…Starting with this."

He leaned in and brushed his lips against hers, the hint of contact sending a shock from head to toe through their bodies. Hiyori responded by pressing ever so gently into him, solidifying their first kiss. She pulled away with a sweet smile on her face. Tears pooled in those oceanic orbs, flooding with emotion.

"Hiyori, I don't want to turn you back. It may be selfish, but I want to find a way for you to stay with me forever. I don't know what I would do without you here."

"Yato…" His named ached with the unspoken feelings they shared. She loosed their hands so that she could wrap her arms around her immortal beloved, who responded in kind.

"When I think of the future, the only thing that matters to me is that you are in it," she whispered only loud enough for him to hear.

"There is a way, and we'll find it," Yato spoke softly into her hair. "The heavens brought us together for a reason."

She hummed in agreement against his chest, pulling away to look up at him again.

"Yato, since we are coming clean about things, I think you should know that I know far more about you than you might realize," she divulged with a blush.

The intrigued god cocked a curious brow at her, followed his trademark grin.

"Why does that really not surprise me?"

He cupped her faced and pressed another firm and lingering kiss to her lips before taking her by the hand once again.

"Come on, Hiyori, let's go find a place to sit and talk…"

She trotted to keep up at his side as she heard him chuckle before saying:

"Preferably somewhere with food."


End file.
